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Jamie Carragher stirred up controversy on Monday with his bold assertion that Vinícius Júnior was the driving force behind Real Madrid's decision to dismiss Xabi Alonso after just 233 days at the helm.
Alonso stepped in to lead the world's most prestigious club after Carlo Ancelotti was shown the exit in May 2025. The Spaniard signed a three-year contract with Los Blancos that summer, but his turbulent tenure came to an abrupt end in January following a Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona.
A focal point of controversy during Alonso's spell on the sidelines was his strained relationship with Vinícius Jr. The pair had a notorious falling out during October's Clásico, when the Brazilian stormed off down the tunnel after Alonso substituted him late in the match. The friction between the two only intensified over the following months until Alonso was ultimately relieved of his duties in the new year.
Carragher, who shared a dressing room with Alonso at Liverpool for several years, remained a steadfast defender of his former teammate and once again seized the chance to lay the blame elsewhere for Alonso's Real Madrid downfall.
"If we're being completely honest, Xabi Alonso lost his job because of Vinícius Jr," Carragher said on Monday Night Football. "He wasn't happy with how things were going. He went crying to the owner and there was talk about him refusing to sign a new contract.
"In the end, as Real Madrid always do, they side with the player. Then they showed the manager the door."
Alonso's Real Madrid Exit Was Much More Complex
It's no secret that the relationship between Alonso and Vinícius Jr deteriorated so dramatically that the player was openly in favour of a managerial change. As Carragher suggested, reports emerged claiming the winger refused to commit to a contract extension while Alonso remained in charge.
The pair took swipes at each other at every opportunity. Vinícius Jr issued a public apology for his Clásico behaviour but conspicuously left Alonso out of his statement. Alonso remarked that Bernabéu supporters "have every right" to boo Vinícius Jr. Madrid's No. 7 was among the few players who did not send Alonso a farewell message after his exit.
However, placing the entire blame for Alonso's Real Madrid failure on Vinícius Jr is a gross oversimplification of what truly unfolded in the Spanish capital during the first half of the 2025–26 season.
Alonso's Questionable Tactics
While the media narrative painted Vinícius Jr as the central figure in Alonso's swift decline at Real Madrid, it was in fact his puzzling tactical choices that drew the most criticism. The Spanish coach was consistently eager to tinker, even when his decisions seemed illogical on paper.
In his first major test as Real Madrid manager, Alonso deployed Vinícius Jr on the right wing for the Club World Cup semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain. Los Blancos were hammered 4–0.
He also thrust a barely-recovered Jude Bellingham into a fiery Madrid derby at the Metropolitano, unsettling a side that had been flawless at the start of the 2025–26 La Liga campaign. Real Madrid were beaten 5–2.
Then came the notorious 2–2 draw with Elche, in which Alonso dropped Vinícius Jr to the bench and instead opted for Fran García as a left wingback. Real Madrid fell 2–0 behind and only managed to rescue a point once the Brazilian came on to replace García.
Real Madrid's Poor Performances
The baffling tactical calls compounded an already dismal run of form. Los Blancos managed just a single victory across all competitions in November, dropping points against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona. The slump carried into December, where they suffered a shock 2–0 defeat to Celta Vigo.
Champions League defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City only deepened the gloom in Madrid. Adding insult to injury, the team required a Kylian Mbappé brace to scrape past fourth-tier Talavera in the Copa del Rey.
Such results are simply unacceptable at Real Madrid. Even if Vinícius Jr had gone to club president Florentino Pérez and pleaded for Alonso to keep his job, no manager could survive at the Bernabéu after such a catastrophic sequence of results.
Alonso, Real Madrid Onto New Chapters
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Regardless of where the blame lies, both Alonso and Real Madrid have moved forward from their ill-fated partnership. José Mourinho now sits in the dugout of the 15-time European champions, while Alonso has taken the reins at Chelsea.
The Spanish coach guided the Blues to a nervy 3–2 victory over Fulham in his touchline debut. In a twist of fate, Alonso got the better of his Real Madrid successor Álvaro Arbeloa, who took charge of the Cottagers following his own departure from the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, required a late moment of brilliance to claim all three points in their season opener. Carlos Espí emerged as the hero at the weekend, slotting home a 90th-minute winner to secure a 2–1 triumph over Espanyol for Los Blancos.